Washing machine and the like



Dec 55 1939 e. w. DUNHAM WASHING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Ma 14, 1937Inventor: George WDurwham by v His btorney Fig.2.

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.182.661 WASHINGMACHINE AND THE LIKE George W. Dunham, Westport, Conn, assignor toGeneral Electric Company, a. corporation of New York Application May 14,1937, Serial No. 142,647

1 Claim.

the like wherein the tub is secured on the support in a simple andeffective manner, and for a consideration of what I believe to be noveland my invention attention is directed to the followm ing descriptionand claim appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of awashing machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the tub andsupport during assembly.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing the tubfastened to the support.

Referring to the drawing, the tub I, which may be made of relativelylight sheet metal coated with enamel, is supported by a cylindricalsheet metal skirt 2. A tubular sleeve or post 3 extends through acentral opening in the bottom of the tub upwardly to a poin above thenormal water level in the tub. A vertical shaft 4 for driving 5 anagitator 5 extends upwardly within the post 3 and is journalled at theupper end thereof in a bearing 6. The coupling between the shaft and theagitator comprises a nut l fixed to the upper end of the-shaft whichfits into a complementary metal socket 8 molded to the inner surface ofa rubber sleeve.9. The outer surface of the sleeve 9 is secured to theinner surface of the tubular portion [0 at the upper end of theagitator. The sleeve 9 provides a resilient support for the agitator andalso provides a torsionally resilient driving connection between theoscillatory shaft 4 and the agitator. This driving connection decreasesthe shock resulting from the sudden reversal of the agitator, with theresult that noise 0 caused by play in the oscillating mechanism isdecreased. Since the upper end of the socket 8 is closed, leakage isprevented around the shaft 4 of the water which is splashed over theupper end of the agitator.

At the lower end of the agitator is an annulus ll of rubber bonded toametal ring llb, whichis secured to the agitator. The annulus ll bearson the outside of the post 3 and provides a resilient bearingfor guidingthe agitator. The bearing prevents noise due to wobbling of the agitatorwith respect to the post 3. The rubber bearing H has very low frictionwith water lubrication and has the further advantage that it is notharmed by particlesof grit in the water.

The lower ,end of the post 3 is bolted to the upper side of the gearcasing l2 containing the driving mechanism for oscillating the agitatorshaft. To prevent transmission of noise originating in the gear casingto the tub and the skirt 2 which serves as the tub support, there isprovided a resilient mounting for the gear casing preventing metalliccontact between the gear casing and any part of the tub or skirt. Thismounting comprises rings I3 of rubber, or other resilient material,which are arranged on eitherside of a flange I4 of a bracket l5 securedto the skirt 2. The parts are held in assembled relation by a bolt l6extending through the rings l3. One end of the bolt I6 is fixed to thegear case cover plate. A clearance hole I! in the flange prevents 1metallic contact between the bolt and the flange. A resilient support ofthis construction is provided between the skirt 2 and each end of thegear casing. At the left end of the gear casing the resilient support islocated between the gear casing cover and the skirt. At the right end of1 the gear casing the resilient support is located between a bracket l8and the skirt. M

In order to prevent transmission of noise from the gear casing throughthe wringer post l9,

which is fixed in the gear casing, I have provided 25 a similarresilient mounting between the tub and collar 20 which is adapted tosupport a wringer.

This mounting comprises pads 2| of resilient material which are arrangedon either side of the tub and which are held in place by screws 22threaded through clearance holes in the tub into the collar.

A resilient mounting is also provided between the post 3 and the bottomof the tub. This mounting comprises rings 23 of resilient material Iwhich are arranged on either side of the tub and which are clampedbetween the flange 24 on the post 3 and a nut 25 threadedon the post.The rings 23 also serve as a water-tight seal.

'In order for the resilient connection between the post and the bottomof the tub to be effective in preventing the transmission of vibrationand noise the tub is supported upon the skirt 2 so'that the weight ofthe tub and contents will not be transmitted through the resilient rings23 to the gear casing. i

In the supporting arrangement for the tub,

the inside diameter of the skirt is made slightly larger than theoutside diameter ofthe tub so 0 that'the tub may be nes t ed into theupper portion' -of the skirt. For securing the tube to the skirt acircumferential head 26 is provided in the side wall of the tub,preferably near the lower portion thereof. The upper edge of the skirtis provided with an annularly bulging rim pro-- viding a shoulder 21 andan offset portion 28 of awidth approximately that of the bead 28. Toprevent a metallic contact between the tub'and skirt, a strip ofnon-metallic or sound deadening material 29, such as rubber, is placedbetween the bead and the bulging rim of the skirt. The strip of sounddeadening material 29 may be preformed during the manufacture thereof ina cross-sectional modified U-shape such as shown in Fig. 3.

Prior to the assembling of the machine the strip of scund deadeningmaterial may be folded out fiatwise and placed around the tube with oneedge of the strip over the bead, as shown in Fig.

2, thus safeguarding against the chipping of the enameled surface of thetub during the assembling operation. With the strip in place about thetub, the tub is nested into the skirt, the covered bead 26 resting uponthe annular shoulder 21 of the bulged portion of the skirt. The tub isthen securely fastened to the skirt by crimping the upwardly extendingannular offset portion 28 over the protruding bead 26 on the tub asshown in Fig. 3. The bulged rim of the skirt may be provided with aplurality of spaced vertical slits so that only the tabs 28 between theslits need be crimped over the bead 25. A similar result will beobtained by making the portions 28 as circumferentially spaced lugs ortabs projecting from the upper edge of the skirt. The portion 30 of thestrip-protects the enameled surface of the tub adjacent the bead duringthe crimping operation of the skirt edge 28. After the crimpingoperation, the portion 30 of the strip is folded down over the bulgedrim of the skirt covering the crimped portion 28. The portion 30 of thestrip which extends annularly around the machine and protrudes from thesurface thereof further acts as a buffer to protect the enameled finishof the machine from abrasion or defacement by collision with the otherobjects while in assembly, shipment or in use. The strip 29 furtherprovides a seal between the tub and the skirt so that water flowing downthe outside of the tub will not leak between the.tub and the skirt.

By my invention I provide a rigid support between the tub and the skirtso that the machine may be moved without exerting any force upon any ofthe resilient mountings, nor is any of the weight of the tub andcontents transmitted to the support through any of the resilientmountings to impair their effectiveness as such while the machine is inuse.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a washingmachine, it is applicable to other devices which require the securing ofa M tub to a support.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

In combination, a tub, a sheet metal skirt, a bead on the side wall ofsaid tub, said skirt being provided with an annular offset portion atthe upper edge thereof forming a shoulder cooperating with said bead onsaid tub, portions of said offset portion being crimped over said bead,and a non-metallic strip extending from between said tub and said skirt,over the edge of the skirtQand around the outside of said skirt.

GEORGE W. DUNHAM.

